Exit sign with adjustable indicia

ABSTRACT

A visual indicator, such as an exit sign, having a display panel which is a closure for the front of a housing containing a light source. The panel includes means for providing both a first transmitting visual image such as the word &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;Exit,&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; and an area for a second light transmitting visual image such as an arrow. A mask-like means is mounted on the panel for movement between a plurality of positions, and has a plurality of visually different images which can be selectively registered with the second image area providing different second images. The panel and mask-like means have releasable means, accessible only when the panel is at least partially removed from the housing, to fix the mask-like means in each of the plurality of positions.

United States Patent Lund et a].

[54] EXIT SIGN WITH ADJUSTABLE INDICIA [72] Inventors: Alvin R. Lund,Carpentersville; Jack Kaufman, Chicago, both of Ill.

[7 3] Assignee: Markstone Manufacturing Company [22] Filed: Mar. 3, 1970[21] App]. No.: 16,027

[451 May 30,1972

8/1959 Haupt 40/65 X [5 7] ABSTRACT A visual indicator, such as an exitsign, having a display panel which is a closure for the front of ahousing containing a light source. The panel includes means forproviding both a first transmitting visual image such as the word Exit,"and an area for a second light transmitting visual image such as anarrow. A mask-like means is mounted on the panel for movement between aplurality of positions, and has a plurality of visually different imageswhich can be selectively registered with the second image area providingdifferent second images, The panel and mask-like means have releasablemeans, accessible only when the panel is at least partially removed fromthe housing, to fix the mask-like means in each of the plurality ofpositions.

17 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 'PATENIEUMAY 30 I972 SHEET 1 [1F 2PATENTEDMAY 30 I972 SHEET 2 [If 2 EXIT SIGN WITH ADJUSTABLE INDICIABACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Public buildings such as hotels, theaters,hospitals, ofiice buildings, stores and transportation terminals arerequired by law to have readily visible illuminated signs to indicatethe locations of exists. Some such signs are placed directly at an exitdoor, while others are in locations where they indicate the direction ordirections of an exit or exits. Thus, there are four basic exit signswhich may be required in any building--i.e., an exit at a doorway, anexit left, an exit right, and exit right and left.

The usual practice heretofore has been to provide exit signs in whichthe illuminated panel carrying the word Exit has no arrows on it, or anarrow pointing to the left or an arrow pointing to the right or arrowspointing in both directions. This, of course, requires a stockcontaining four different types of illuminated panels and selection ofthe required types for various locations.

An exit sign construction which can be used universally by adjustingindicia for forming arrows pointing to the left, to the right, or inboth directions has been considered desirable; but the use of adjustableindicia has been accompanied by a risk that the indicia might be movedby an unauthorized person and thus cause the exit sign to give a falseindication of direction. This, of course, could be disastrous in case ofan emergency. As a result, adjustable exit signs have rarely been used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present inventionis to provide a new and improved visual indicator, as for an exit sign,having different visual images which can be selected by a tamperproofadjustment.

The visual indicator of this invention has a display panel which is aclosure for the open front of a housing containing a light source. Theclosure includes a frame which covers a front portion of the housing anda light transmitting plate which is releasably seated in the frame. Theplate has a first visual image and a pair of second visual image areaswhich are related to the first. An adjustable mask-like means is locatedbetween the frame and the plate for movement between a plurality ofpositions. The mask-like means has a plurality of pairs of images withthe images in each pair spaced apart by distance equal to the spacebetween the second visual image areas so that each of thepairs can besimultaneously registered with the image areas in one of the pluralityof positions. The image pairs include a first pair of identical images,a second pair of identical images which are difi'erent from the firstpair, and a third pair of images of which one is identical with theimages of the first pair and the other is identical with the images ofthe second pair. The mask-like means has a plurality of notches each ofwhich is adapted to interengage with an upwardly directed tab on theframe to secure the mask-like means to the frame in one of the pluralityof positions. The adjustment of the mask-like means can only be madewhen the panel is disassociated from the light source by at leastpartially removing it from the housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable sign whichis very simple, rugged, and inexpensive to make.

Another object of the invention is to provide for simple adjustment ofthe mask-like means when the panel is removed from the housing.

In one embodiment of the invention the visual indicator is an exit sign,the first visual image is the word EXIT, and the second visual imagesare different combinations of arrow pairs.

Thus, another object of the invention is that an exit sign is providedwith different sets of arrows which can be selected by a tamper-proofadjustment, to permit mounting of the sign with a desired arrowconfiguration in any convenient location.

A further object of the invention is that provision is made to blank outthe second visual image areas in one of the plurality of positions ofthe mask-like means to indicate an exit at the sign.

Further features will become more fully apparent in the followingdescription of the embodiment of this invention and from the appendedclaims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, of oneembodiment of the visual indicator made according to the presentinvention, with the mask-like means in position to blank out the secondvisual image areas;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view, partly broken away, withthe mask-like means in position for a pair of left arrows to beregistered in the second visual image areas;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly broken away, with themask-like means in position for a left and a right arrow to beregistered in the second visual image areas;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view, partly broken away, withthe mask-like means in position for a pair of right arrows to beregistered in the second visual image areas;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational view, on an enlarged scale,with the light transmitting plate partly broken away;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary rear elevational view, on an enlarged scale, ofthe cover frame with the light transmitting plate partly broken away;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view, on an enlarged scale,taken substantially as indicated along the line 7 7ofFIG. 5;and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale,taken substantially as indicated along the line 8- 8 of FIG. 5, and witha light source illustrated diagrammatically.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings indetail, and referring first to FIGS. 1 and 5 to 8, the visual indicatorof the present invention is illustrated asembodied in an exit sign, andis seen to consist of a display panel, indicated generally at 9, withsaid panel including a rectangular frame, indicated generally at 10, anda translucent glass plate, indicated generally at 11 which seats in theframe. A mask-like means, indicated generally at 12, is positionedbetween the lower part of the frame 10 and the plate 1 l.

The frame 10 is fabricated from a single piece of sheet metal which ispunched, sheared and formed to provide a planar front plate, indicatedgenerally at 13, and a continuous peripheral flange 14 which surroundsthe entire front plate and is perpendicular to it so as to permit theframe 10 to be mounted upon a housing for a light source (not shown).The frame front plate 13 has side borders 15, a top border 16 and alower web 17 the interior margins of which define a rectangular opening18 through which most of the translucent plate 1 1, bearing the wordExit" in red letters, is visible to a person looking at the device fromthe front. The word Exit provides a first visual image 19.

The lower web 17 of the frame front plate 13 is provided with a pair ofspaced rectangular openings 20 which define areas for a second visualimage, and the translucent plate 1 1 is provided with rectangular areas21 which register with the openings 20 and are colored red.

As best seen in FIGS. 5, 7 and 8, the mask-like means 12 consists of athin piece of sheet metal which is mounted between the lower web 17 ofthe frame front plate 13 and the contiguous portion of the translucentplate 11. The mask-like means 12 includes a masking plate 22 which issandwiched between the web 17 and the translucent plate, and a lockingflange 23 which rests upon the lower frame flange 14a beneath the loweredge of the translucent plate 1 1.

The masking plate 22 is provided with punched openings in the shape ofarrows, there being a first pair of arrow-shaped openings 24 which pointto the left when the device is viewed from the front (see FIG. 2), asecond pair of arrow-shaped openings 25 which point to the right (seeFIG. 4), and a third pair of arrow-shaped openings 26 of which onepoints to the left and the other to the right. The space between thearrowshaped openings of each of the three pairs is equal to the spacebetween the openings in the lower frame web 17, so that the mask-likemeans 12 may be positioned with any one of the three pairs ofarrow-shaped openings in register with the openings 20 of the frontplate. Thus, as seen in FIG. 2, when the openings 24 are in registerwith the openings 20 they cooperate with the red rectangles 21 of thetranslucent plate 11 to provide a first pair of identical images 27consisting of arrows pointing to the left. When the arrow-shapedopenings are aligned with the openings 20 they cooperate with the redrectangles 21 to provide a second set of visual images in the form ofarrows 28 which point to the right. When the third set of arrow-shapedopenings 26 is registered with the openings 20 they cooperate with thered rectangles 21 to provide a third pair of images in which one arrowpoints to the left and the other to the right.

The mask-like means 12 is of sufficient length, and the spacing betweenthe openings 20 is such, that the mask-like means may be positioned withunbroken portions 29 registered with the openings 20 as seen in FIG. 1,so as to blank out the red rectangles 21 and thereby blank out thesecond visual images.

The frame 10 and the mask-like means 12 are provided with releasableinterengaging means for fixing the mask-like means selectively in theposition of FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3 or FIG. 4. The releasableinterengaging means comprises an upright tab 30 on the bottom flange 14aof the frame, and a series of notches 31, 32, 33 and 34 in the lockingflange 23 of the masklike means. The notches 31-34 are selectivelyengageable with the tab 30 to fix the mask-like means in the position ofFIG. I, or of FIG. 2, or of FIG. 3, or of FIG. 4. Since the mask plate22 is between the frame front plate 13 and the translucent plate 11 themask-like means may be moved from one position of adjustment to anotheronly by disassembling the unit and then reassembling it. Thus, thedevice is effectively tamper-proof.

The three main elements of the device are preferably held in assembledrelationship to one another by a set of deformable ears 35 which areriveted to the frame flange 14 in the outwardly projecting position seenin FIG. 5 and at the left-hand end of FIG. 6, and the ears 35 may bemanually bent to the retaining position illustrated at the right-handend of FIG. 6. The ears may conveniently be made of a soft aluminumalloy which has no tendency to return to the outwardly projectingposition once it has been bent to the retaining position.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness ofunderstanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. A visual indicator for the front of a housing containing a lightsource, said indicator comprising, in combination:

a display panel, said panel including means providing a first lighttransmitting visual image and providing an area for a second lighttransmitting visual image which is related to the first, so that lightfrom said source passes through said first image and through said area;

adjustable mask-like means mounted on the panel for movement between aplurality of positions, said mask-like means having a plurality ofvisually different light transmitting images which are selectivelyregistrable with the second visual image area in different ones of saidplurality of positions to provide different second visual images throughwhich light from the source passes;

and releasable means located both on the panel and on the adjustablemask-like means which cooperate to lock said latter means in each ofsaid plurality of positions, said releasable means and said adjustablemask-like means being accessible for the purpose of unlocking andadjusting said mask-like means and changing said second visual imageonly when the panel is disassociated from the light source.

2. The visual indicator of claim I in which the display panel is aclosure for a housing which has an open front.

3. The visual indicator of claim 2 in which said closure includes aframe which covers the open front of said housing and a lighttransmitting plate releasably seated in said frame, and in which themask-like means is of opaque material with the visually different imagesbeing defined by openings in the mask-like means.

4. A visual indicator of claim 3 in which the mask-like means is locatedbetween said frame and said light transmitting plate for movementbetween said plurality of positions.

5. The visual indicator of claim 4 in which said mask-like meanscomprises a single plate, and in which said releasable means comprises aprojecting tab on said frame and a plurality of openings in said singleplate, each of said openings being adapted to interengage with said tabto secure said single plate to said frame in one of said plurality ofpositions.

6. The visual indicator of claim 1 in which said panel has two spacedsecond visual image areas, and in which the masklike means has aplurality of pairs of images with the images in each pair spaced apartby a distance equal to the space between the second visual image areasso as to be simultaneously registered with said areas, there being afirst pair of identical images and a second pair of identical imageswhich are difierent from said first pair, and each of said pairs beingregistered with the visual image areas in one of the plurality ofpositions of the mask-like means.

7. The visual indicator of claim 6 in which the mask-like means includesa third pair of images of which one is identical with the images of thefirst pair and the other is identical with the images of the secondpair, and in which said third pair of images are registered with thevisual image areas in one of the plurality of positions of the mask-likemeans.

8. The visual indicator of claim 7 in which the mask-like means is anopaque plate, and in which the plate has openings defining the pairs ofimages.

9. The visual indicator of claim 8 in which the releasable means isconstructed and arranged to fix the mask-like means with no openingsregistered with the second image areas in one of the plurality ofpositions of the mask-like means, so as to blank out the second visualimages in said one of said positions.

10. The visual indicator of claim 6 in which the mask-like meansincludes opaque areas, and in which the releasable means is constructedand arranged to fix the mask-like means with said opaque areasregistered with the visual image areas to blank out the latter in one ofthe plurality of positions of the mask-like means.

11. The visual indicator of claim 6 which is an exit sign, the firstvisual image is the word EXIT, the first pair of identical images definearrows pointing to the left and the second pair of identical imagesdefine arrows pointing to the right.

12. The visual indicator of claim 11 in which the mask-like meansincludes a third pair of images with one image of said third pairdefining an arrow pointing to the left and the second image of saidthird pair defining an arrow pointing to the right.

13. The visual indicator of claim 12in which the mask-like meansincludes opaque areas, and in which the releasable means is constructedand arranged to fix the mask-like means with said opaque areasregistered with the visual image areas to blank out the latter in one ofthe plurality of positions of the masklike means.

14. The visual indicator of claim 1 which is an exit sign, the firstvisual image is the word EXIT, and the mask-like means has a first imagewhich is an arrow pointing to the left and a second image which is anarrow pointing to the right.

15. The visual indicator of claim 14 in which the mask-like means has athird image which includes arrows pointing to the left and to the right.

mask-like means comprises a plate, and in which the releasable meanscomprises a projecting tab on the display panel and a plurality ofopenings in the plate, each of said openings being adapted tointerengage with said tab to secure said plate to said panel in one ofsaid plurality of positions.

1. A visual indicator for the front of a housing containing a lightsource, said indicator comprising, in combination: a display panel, saidpanel including means providing a first light transmitting visual imageand providing an area for a second light transmitting visual image whichis related to the first, so that light from said source passes throughsaid first image and through said area; adjustable mask-like meansmounted on the panel for movement between a plurality of positions, saidmask-like means having a plurality of visually different lighttransmitting images which are selectively registrable with the secondvisual image area in different ones of said plurality of positions toprovide different second visual images through which light from thesource passes; and releasable means located both on the panel and on theadjustable mask-like means which cooperate to lock said latter means ineach of said plurality of positions, said releasable means and saidadjustable mask-like means being accessible for the purpose of unlockingand adjusting said mask-like means and changing said second visual imageonly when the panel is disassociated from the light source.
 2. Thevisual indicator of claim 1 in which the display panel is a closure fora housing which has an open front.
 3. The visual indicator of claim 2 inwhich said closure includes a frame which covers the open front of saidhousing and a light transmitting plate releasably seated in said frame,and in which the mask-like means is of opaque material with the visuallydifferent images being defined by openings in the mask-like means.
 4. Avisual indicator of claim 3 in which the mask-like means is locatedbetween said frame and said light transmitting plate for movementbetween said plurality of positions.
 5. The visual indicator of claim 4in which said mask-like means comprises a single plate, and in whichsaid releasable means comprises a projecting tab on said frame and aplurality of openings in said single plate, each of said openings beingadapted to interengage with said tab to secure said single plate to saidframe in one of said plurality of positions.
 6. The visual indicator ofclaim 1 in which said panel has two spaced second visual image areas,and in which the mask-like means has a plurality of pairs of images withthe images in each pair spaced apart by a distance equal to the spacebetween the second visual image areas so as to be simultaneouslyregistered with said areas, there being a first pair of identical imagesand a second pair of identical images which are different from saidfirst pair, and each of said pairs being registered with the visualimage areas in one of the plurality of positions of the mask-like means.7. The visual indicator of claim 6 in which the mask-like means includesa third pair of images of which one is identical with the images of thefirst pair and the other is identical with the images of the secondpair, and in which said third pair of images are registered with thevisual image areas in one of the plurality of positions of the mask-likemeans.
 8. The visual indicator of claim 7 in which the mask-like meansis an opaque plate, and in which the plate has openings defining thepairs of images.
 9. The visual indicator of claim 8 in which thereleasable means is constructed and arranged to fix the mask-like meanswith no openings registered with the second image areas in one of theplurality of positions of the mask-like means, so as to blank out thesecond visual images in said one of said positions.
 10. The visualindicator of claim 6 in which the mask-like means includes opaque areas,and in which thE releasable means is constructed and arranged to fix themask-like means with said opaque areas registered with the visual imageareas to blank out the latter in one of the plurality of positions ofthe mask-like means.
 11. The visual indicator of claim 6 which is anexit sign, the first visual image is the word EXIT, the first pair ofidentical images define arrows pointing to the left and the second pairof identical images define arrows pointing to the right.
 12. The visualindicator of claim 11 in which the mask-like means includes a third pairof images with one image of said third pair defining an arrow pointingto the left and the second image of said third pair defining an arrowpointing to the right.
 13. The visual indicator of claim 12 in which themask-like means includes opaque areas, and in which the releasable meansis constructed and arranged to fix the mask-like means with said opaqueareas registered with the visual image areas to blank out the latter inone of the plurality of positions of the mask-like means.
 14. The visualindicator of claim 1 which is an exit sign, the first visual image isthe word EXIT, and the mask-like means has a first image which is anarrow pointing to the left and a second image which is an arrow pointingto the right.
 15. The visual indicator of claim 14 in which themask-like means has a third image which includes arrows pointing to theleft and to the right.
 16. The visual indicator of claim 15 in which themask-like means includes an opaque area, and in which the releasablemeans is constructed and arranged to fix the mask-like means with saidopaque area registered with the second visual image area to blank outthe latter in one of the plurality of positions of the mask-like means.17. The visual indicator of claim 1 in which the adjustable mask-likemeans comprises a plate, and in which the releasable means comprises aprojecting tab on the display panel and a plurality of openings in theplate, each of said openings being adapted to interengage with said tabto secure said plate to said panel in one of said plurality ofpositions.